Bake & Bait − baking, cooking and everything in between

Hazelnut Crepe Cake

2014-08-16T21:05:00.000+08:00

I'm working on a huge project that I am incredibly excited about, and I can't wait to share it with the world! In the meantime, here's a hazelnut crepe cake I made recently inspired by an amazing one I had overseas. I'm quite happy with the taste and texture but I will definitely be improving on it. Next week, a chocolate version!

Ice Cream Sugar Cookies

2014-07-26T17:05:00.001+08:00

Hello! I've been so crazy busy. Between work, baking, hobbies and catching up on my favourite TV shows (yes, watching TV is high on my list of priorities), I can hardly breathe sometimes. Which explains why I made these cookies weeks ago but only got to posting them now. Sometimes the words just don't flow.

Sugar cookie recipes are easy. You bake the cookies, make the royal icing, and decorate them. The only limit is your creativity. My problem with sugar cookies has always been the sweetness. There's no way to reduce royal icing's sweetness so I tried reducing the sugar in the cookies but they still turn out so teeth-achingly sweet I end up not eating them at all.

I used the same sugar cookie and royal icing recipe as my duckling cookies but reduced the sugar to 350g. For the mint chocolate chip ice cream, I used cocoa nibs as chips, love how they turned out looking just like the real thing!

Red Wine Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Glaze

2014-07-09T15:44:00.002+08:00

What do you do when you have 12 bottles of opened wine? Besides drinking all of them I mean.

Oh, wait. Are you one of those people who can drink an entire bottle of wine by yourself? Then we should definitely be friends. I'll trade you - wine for food.

One of the perks of my job is the access to free wine. That, along with drinking on the job and the occasional free meal. Once in a while we get a bunch of samples for tasting but we don't usually finish them. They get stuck in the fridge and are eventually forgotten. Googling red wine recipes gave me a few ideas but this stood out the most to me.

Red wine? Check.
Chocolate cake? Check.
More chocolate? Just hand me a slice already!

I demolished 2 slices within 10 minutes, it's really that good.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Glaze Yields: 1 8-inch cake
INGREDIENTS For the Cake: 85g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature 135g (2/3 cup) dark brown sugar 35g (2 tbsp + 1tsp) white granulated sugar 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature 177ml (3/4 cup) red wine, any kind you like 1 tsp vanilla extract 133g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour 41g (1/2 cup) dutch-processed cocoa powder 1/8 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp table salt 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon For the Dark Chocolate Ganache Glaze: 70g dark chocolate couvertures 70g heavy cream	Print this recipe
METHOD For the Cake: Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line the base and sides of a 8-inch round cake pan with parchment or baking paper. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and yolk and beat well, then add the red wine and vanilla. Don’t worry if the batter looks a little uneven. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together, right over your wet ingredients. Mix until 3/4 combined, then fold the rest together with a rubber spatula. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The top of the cake should be shiny and smooth, like a puddle of chocolate. Cool in pan on a rack for about 10 minutes, then flip out of pan and cool the rest of the way on a cooling rack. This cake keeps well at room temperature or in the fridge. For the Dark Chocolate Ganache Glaze: Heat the heavy cream over medium heat just until small bubbles begin to form. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let it sit for a few minutes, then whisk gently until fully melted and combined. Let sit at room temperature for a couple of hours until it is of spreadable consistency.
(Bake & Bait // Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Towering Hazelnut Praline Cake + Cupcakes

2014-07-01T01:36:00.000+08:00

These days (everyday) I'm dreaming of Sydney and imagining how wonderful the weather must be now. I'm reminiscing about Taipei and it's endless rainy winter days and their amazing hot pot buffet with free flow ice cream.

It's getting way too hot here. I'm talking hot like spending 5 minutes outdoors and the back of your hands are perspiring, showering 5 times a day, all you want to do is stay home hot.

Staying at home means that I lay in bed reading on my kindle, or sit in front of my computer watching hours and hours of CSI and Supernatural. At some point, I get my lazy ass off my very comfortable bed/ chair, put on my imaginary apron and bake something.

You know how sometimes you spend so much time making all the components of a cake and by the time you are done baking, you don't even feel like doing a proper frosting job? I mean, the cake is going to taste the same even if you just cut it into chunks and slather the frosting on top, right? Right, but we can at least do it in an artful way that is worthy of a picture. That was how this naked cake came about, it looks great (if I do say so myself), and it tastes great, no thanks to the heat.

Second attempt - cupcakes, just as delicious.

I know the recipe looks really long, but the hazelnut praline, ganache and swiss meringue buttercream can be made in advance so put on your big girl aprons and start baking!

Towering Hazelnut Praline Cake/ Cupcakes Yields: 1 6-inch cake or 16 large cupcakes
INGREDIENTS For the Hazelnut Praline: 200g blanched hazelnuts 200g sugar For the Cupcakes: 150g plain flour 70g golden caster sugar 70g light muscovado sugar 50g hazenut praline, processed to a fine powder 1½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt 100g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and at room temp 2 medium eggs 100ml buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla paste (i used Nielsen Massey Vanilla Bean Paste) 1 tsp coffee extract For the Hazelnut Praline Swiss Meringue Buttercream: 75g (2½ large) egg whites 100g golden caster sugar 100g unsalted butter, cut into cubes and cool, but not cold* 1 tsp vanilla paste/ extract 1 tsp coffee extract or very strong coffee, cooled 8 tbsp hazelnut praline (to taste) For the Chocolate Ganache 100g heavy cream 200g dark chocolate couvertures	Print this recipe
METHOD For the Hazelnut Praline: Preheat oven to 150°C. Put the hazelnuts in a baking tray and toast for about 5 minutes. Line a baking tray with silpat or baking paper (or grease baking tray with any flavorless oil). Put the sugar in a heavy saucepan. Stir gently on medium heat for about 5 - 8 minutes until it melts and turn a lovely golden brown. Add the hazelnuts and stir until they are completely covered. When the caramel turns a deep amber colour, pour the praline into the prepared baking tray. Let it cool completely, then break into pieces. Process half of the praline to a fine powder in a food processor - this will be used in the sponge and frosting. Larger pieces can be used to decorate the cake/ cupcakes. For the Cake: Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base and sides of 2 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper. If making cupcakes, put your cupcake cases into a muffin tin. Mix all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk or fork, making sure there are no lumps. Add the cubed butter and mix on low speed using the paddle attachment until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Add the eggs and mix on medium to combine. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, coffee extract and mix on high for 2 - 3 minutes. The batter should be quite thick. Pour mixture into prepared pans. If possible, weigh pans for even layers. If making cupcakes, fill the cupcake cases halfway up. Place in preheated oven and bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs/ clean. Cool completely. For the Hazelnut Praline Swiss Meringue Buttercream: Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 71°C (160°F), or if you don't have a candy thermometer, whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot. With the whisk attachment of your mixer, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes or so). Don't begin adding butter until the bottom of the bowl feels neutral, and not warm. Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). If the mixture is too runny, refrigerate for about 15 minutes and continue mixing with paddle attachment until it comes together. Add vanilla, coffee extract and powered hazelnut praline, continuing to beat on low speed until well combined. For the Chocolate Ganache:* Heat the heavy cream over medium heat just until small bubbles begin to form. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk gently until fully melted and combined. Let cool until it is of spreadable consistency.
NOTES If you are not using blanched hazelnuts, wrap the hazelnuts in a clean dish towel and let them steam for about 10 minutes after toasting. After steaming, use the dish towel to remove hazelnut skins.
(Bake & Bait // Adapted from Supergolden Bakes)

Here, have a slice on me!

My Favourite Shepherd's Pie

2014-04-10T00:10:00.000+08:00

Have you ever had one of those days where everything you made turned out bad? Well, I had one of those - FOR THE WHOLE WEEK! Even recipes that I've tried and done many times failed horribly. It was not pleasant. After 3 tries that went south, I was hungry, tired, angry and ready to throw in the towel.

On days like this, what I crave is a piping hot meal that is so good it makes me forget my unhappiness. Enter the Shepherd's Pie - one of my all time favourite comfort foods. Shovelling spoonfuls of it into my mouth makes me forget all about my baking failures. You know what's the best part? You can make this in advance, refrigerate it and eat it over a few days if nobody else in the family devours it ;p

Just so you know, Shepherd's Pie is made with lamb, and cottage pie is made with beef. While the recipe calls for lamb, I frequently use pork or chicken in my pies. As opposed to baking, cooking doesn't call for very specific measurements in terms of ingredients, so feel free to adjust the ingredients to your liking!

My Favourite Shepherds Pie Yields: 2 servings
INGREDIENTS For the Mince: 1 Tbsp Olive Oil 400g lean meat (you can use beef, lamb, pork or chicken) Ground black pepper to taste 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, shredded Knob of butter (~1tbsp) 1 sprig fresh thyme and rosemary (or a mixture of Italian herbs) 1 - 3 Tbsp tomato puree (your preference - i usually use 3tbsp) 75ml red wine Splash of Worcestershire sauce (about 2 tbsp) 330ml chicken stock For the Mashed Potatoes: 2 to 3 medium sized potatoes (I use Russet potatoes) 2 tbsp butter, softened 2 tbsp milk Salt and ground black pepper to taste Parmesan cheese shavings (optional!)	Print this recipe
METHOD For the Mince: Preheat oven to 200°C. In a large frying pan, heat the oil until hot, add the mince, season with pepper and fry until well browned. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the pan and place in a metal colander to allow the excess oil to drain. Melt butter in the pan, add chopped onion, shredded carrot and thyme. Cook until the onions turn soft and translucent. Then add the meat and tomato purée. Add the red wine and Worcestershire sauce and cook until the liquid has reduced to half the original volume. Add the chicken stock, bring back to the boil, then simmer for 30-40 minutes. The mixture should be thick and glossy. Allow to cool, then check the seasoning. For the Mashed Potatoes: Peel and cut the potatoes into similar sized pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until a fork slides into the potatoes without resistance. The potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart. Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes are done draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove over low heat. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients. Take the pot off the stove and add the butter and milk. Mash it! Then, add salt and black pepper to taste. Put the mince into a large baking dish (or 2 dishes for 2 servings), then top with the mashed potatoes. Use a fork to rough up the top (or smooth it - your choice!) Add a generous layer of Parmesan shavings on top of your mashed potatoes before baking if you like. Place in preheated oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown in colour.
NOTES I use fresh herbs when I can get my hands on them, or else an Italian herb mill works great. The amount of chicken stock you use depends on whether it is homemade or store bought. Store bought chicken stock tends to be more salty and you should use less than the recommended 330ml. You can always add salt if its not salty but you cannot make your mince less salty! My mashed potatoes recipe does not contain any eggs and it is the way I like it - if you have a favourite mashed potatoes recipe, you can substitute with that. I do not add any cheese or egg wash my mash, which is why it looks very pale in the picture. If you like cheese, feel free to add a generous layer of parmesan shavings before baking your pie in the oven.
(Recipe by Bake & Bait)

Blood Orange Lemonade

2013-05-10T04:08:00.000+08:00

Blood oranges - scary name, amazing fruit. Its crimson, blood coloured flesh comes from anthocyanins, a family of antioxidant pigments common to many flowers and fruit but uncommon in citrus fruits. In addition to the usual citrus flavour, they have a distinct, sweet flavour, with raspberry tones. Seriously, they are delicious. Imagine my joy when I found them at my local supermarket.

The weather here is very unpredictable. It could be sweltering one moment and pouring the next, but most of the time is uncomfortably hot and humid. Days like these, i would kill for a glass of cold water, tea, juice, anything! That feeling of the cold liquid rushing down your throat - indescribable.

Blood Orange Lemonade Yields: 1 pitcher
INGREDIENTS For the Simple Syrup: 225g (1 cup) sugar 250ml (1 cup) water For the Blood Orange Lemonade: 250ml (1 cup) fresh blood orange juice (about 6 - 7 oranges) 250ml (1 cup) fresh lemon juice (about 4 - 5 lemons) 650ml (2-1/2 cups) water or club soda 1 lemon, 1 orange and mint sprigs for garnish (optional)	Print this recipe
METHOD For the Simple Syrup: In a saucepan, heat the sugar and water for about 5 minutes until all the sugar is dissolved and of a syrup consistency. Set aside to cool. For the Blood Orange Lemonade: Combine the juices and water/ club soda in a pitcher. Slice the lemon and orange into wheels and place them in the pitcher. Add half of the simple syrup and increase to taste. Stir. Add ice cubes and pour into glasses to serve. Will keep fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
(Recipe by Bake & Bait)

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. So, when you have blood oranges, try these blood orange recipes!

Happy hour? >> Blood Orange Sangria by How Sweet It Is
Bubbly >> Blood Orange Champagne Cocktails by Martha Stewart
Next time I'm making sorbet >> Blood Orange Sorbet by Leite's Culinaria
Ice Cream! >> Blood Orange Curd Ice Cream by sheknows.com
Popsicles ♥ >>Blood Orange Pops by White on Rice Couple
Hmm mm.. >> Flaky Blood Orange Tart by Smitten Kitchen
Macarons >Blood Orange Macarons by Je suis alimentageuse
Marmalade >> Sicilian Blood Orange Marmalade by Food52

The Best Chocolate Mudcake (Pam's Chocolate Mudcake)

2013-05-06T01:10:00.000+08:00

Let me introduce you to my new favourite chocolate cake. It has a very rich flavour, is extremely moist - almost like a chocolate fudge cake and also dense enough to carve. Not to mention that it is extremely easy to make. Mudcakes are ideal for beginners as slight errors in measurements or over-mixing will not affect the results. They also have a long shelf life and they taste even better with age. The only trouble you would have is having to wait so long to eat it!

I made mine with dark chocolate ganache and found it a little too rich, but super delicious nonetheless. Next time round, I'll definitely try it with a raspberry or salted caramel filling to balance the taste a little.

The Best Chocolate Mudcake (Pam's Chocolate Mudcake) Yields: 1 6-inch cake, about 4 inches high
INGREDIENTS For the Chocolate Mudcake: 250g unsalted butter 200g dark chocolate (i used a mixture of Valrhona Jivara 40% and Araguani 72%) 1 tablespoon instant coffee 330ml cups warm water 225g self-raising flour 180g caster sugar 31g cocoa powder 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 tsp pure vanilla extract For the Chocolate Ganache: 150g heavy cream 300g dark chocolate couvertures	Print this recipe
METHOD For the Chocolate Mudcake: Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease and line base and sides of 2 cake pans with parchment paper. Combine chopped butter, chopped chocolate, coffee and water in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes, then transfer mixture to bowl of mixer. Add caster sugar to the mixture and beat well until dissolved. Add sifted flour, cocoa powder, lightly beaten eggs and vanilla extract. Pour mixture into prepared pans. If possible, use a digital kitchen scale and weigh pans for even layers. Bake for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until a tester inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pans. For the Chocolate Ganache: Heat the heavy cream over medium heat just until small bubbles begin to form. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk gently until fully melted and combined. Let cool until it is of spreadable consistency. ASSEMBLY Slice the cake layers in half horizontally, using a cake leveler or a large serrated knife and place flat side down on your cake board, pedestal, or plate. Using a small offset palette knife, spread ganache evenly on the top. Repeat this with remaining cake layers, until you come to the final layer, which you will place with the flat side up. Place cake on a turntable, and using a offset palette knife, cover the cake in a thin layer of ganache to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (or more). *This does not need to be perfect, as that will come with the top "coat" of ganache. Repeat the previous step and for best results, use bench scraper held at 90° against the side of the cake, slowly turning the turntable and keeping your hand steady--let the turntable do the work. Clean up edges with your small offset palette knife. Chill the cake. NOTES If baking the recipe in one pan, be sure to bring your parchment paper 5cm above the side of pan. The chocolate looks plain on its own so I toasted some hazelnuts for decoration, no hazelnuts were added into the batter.
(Bake & Bait // Recipe from Pam, CakeCentral)

Whole Orange Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze

2013-04-28T19:10:00.000+08:00

As a child, I never enjoyed eating fruits. I didn't dislike them or anything, I just didn't feel very strongly about them. As an adult, I eat fruits out of necessity, to strengthen my immune system and for better skin. When I started baking and reading food blogs regularly, I discovered how wonderful fruits really were, how they can be incorporated into recipes and how they intensify flavours.

It was a whole new world for me. Grocery shopping is now incomplete without stopping by the produce section. Like a kid in a candy store, I would race to the fruits section and start picking up the fruits and smelling them. Oranges smell sweet and fruity, lemons have a strong citrusy scent and apples smell so fresh and clean, like the air after a bout of heavy rain.

Now, this is a wonderful cake. Its buttery cake and full of the citrusy goodness of 2 whole oranges. Yes, the entire orange including the peel and pith. Isn't that just amazing? No zesting and squeezing, all you have to do is quarter the oranges and reduce them to puree in your food processor.

Here's what you need to make this cake.

After baking for about an hour, a golden, fragrant cake emerges. It smells so good, I got hungry just from the aroma of the cake baking.

You can of course eat it on its own without the ganache if you're not a chocolate lover, but chocolate and orange paired together is just heavenly and irresistible! If you try this recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Whole Orange Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze Yields: 1 standard bundt cake
INGREDIENTS For the Orange Bundt Cake: 2 whole oranges (preferably seedless navel), scrubbed and washed well 340g (3 sticks) butter, softened 375g (1-2/3 cups) caster sugar 3 large eggs, room temperature 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 3 cups all purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon Kosher salt For the Chocolate Ganache Glaze: 232g (1 cup) heavy cream 360g (2 cups) semi sweet chocolate chips ( i used dark chocolate couvertures)	Print this recipe
METHOD For the Orange Bundt Cake: Preheat oven to 180°C (350° F). Generously grease and flour a Bundt pan and set aside. Quarter the oranges, remove any seeds if not using navel, and put in food processor to puree. Set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together in the base of an electric mixer for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated. Add the orange puree and vanilla extract and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients gently, just until fully combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan, spreading so that it is evenly distributed. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a tester inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool. When completely cool, pour on the chocolate ganache glaze (below) and let set for at least 1 hour before serving. Will keep for 3-5 days under a cake dome or plastic wrap For the Chocolate Ganache Glaze: Heat the heavy cream over medium heat just until small bubbles begin to form. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and whisk gently until fully melted and combined. Let cool for 10 minutes before glazing cake. May be prepared in advance and gently reheated in a moderate microwave.
(Bake & Bait // Recipe from Always Order Dessert)

Graduation Cupcakes

2013-04-18T02:10:00.000+08:00

I've finally graduated!! As a baking nerd, I've made the obvious choice of translating that euphoria into cupcakes instead of flooding into parties and clubs to let that 3 years worth of hair down. Hence, I present to you straight from the convocation, the Graduation Cupcakes.

The graduation caps (motar board) toppers were made from modeling chocolate and fondant. I initially wanted to use chocolate squares and Reese peanut butter cups but I thought using modeling chocolate would allow me to create a more realistic look. The thing is, I had never made modeling chocolate and it turned out rather disastrous. I used a ratio of about 200g of dark chocolate to 60g of light corn syrup but it turned out really watery and took about 3 nights to stiffen up.

To make the toppers, roll a small chunk of modeling chocolate into a circle and flattened it a little- we will call this the flat-top circle. Once you've made enough flat-top circles, roll out a sheet of modeling chocolate to about 3/16 inch thick. I have these Wilton Guide Rings but I was too lazy to use them so I simply flattened the chocolate with my hand. Cut out squares that are about 1.5 x 1.5 inch. Lay the chocolate squares down on your parchment paper, and set a flat-top circle on it. Modeling chocolate hardens up pretty fast at room temperature so you can start making your tassels.

Roll a small ball of fondant (mine was white mixed with yellow gel colouring) into a thin snake. Cut them into shorter pieces and use your finger to flatten one end. Use a sharp paring knife to cut the 'tassels'. Be careful here, do not cut the tassels too close as they will come right off and you'll end up with no tassels. At this point, you can either flatten the other end a little and attach it to the middle of the chocolate squares and secure it with another small circle of modeling chocolate or just leave the tassel without the extra circle. Leave the graduation caps to set for a few hours of overnight.

For the cupcakes, I used a scaled down version of the Six Layer Dark Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream recipe and piped the Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream using a Wilton 1M tip.

Graduation Cupcakes Yields: 9 to 12 standard cupcakes
INGREDIENTS For the Chocolate Cupcakes: 95g (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour 112g (1/2 cup) castor sugar 30g (1/4 cup) dark cocoa powder 3/4 tsp (3.5 g) baking soda 3/4 tsp (3.5 g) baking powder 1/2 tsp (4 g) salt 80ml (1/3 cup) buttermilk 60ml (1/4 cup) espresso or strong, hot brewed coffee 45ml (3 tbsp) vegetable oil 1 egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten 1-1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) pure vanilla extract For the Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream: 150g fresh egg whites, about 5 eggs 250g (1-1/4 cups) sugar 340g (3 sticks) butter, cut into cubes and cool, but not cold* 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract Pinch of salt	Print this recipe
METHOD For the Chocolate Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 180°C (350° F) and line a muffin/cupcake pan with cupcake liners. In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt). In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, coffee, oil, egg and vanilla. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed, divide batter among liners (fill liners to about 2/3 full or slightly lesser). Batter will be liquidy, and cupcakes will rise. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until toothpick or skewer comes out with a few crumbs. Try not to over-bake. Carefully remove cupcakes from the pan immediately (it's hot!), and place them on a wire rack until completely cool. For the Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream: Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 71°C (160°F), or if you don't have a candy thermometer, whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot. With the whisk attachment of your mixer, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes or so). Don't begin adding butter until the bottom of the bowl feels neutral, and not warm. Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). *If the mixture is too runny, refrigerate for about 15 minutes and continue mixing with paddle attachment until it comes together. Add vanilla and salt, continuing to beat on low speed until well combined. NOTES I only used half of the SMBC recipe, which was just enough for my 9 cupcakes. If you like more frosting, you should make the full recipe. To test if the egg whites are ready, rub the egg whites/ sugar mixture between your fingers. If it feels gritty, the sugar has not melted yet. In my hot and humid kitchen, I use the butter almost right out of the refrigerator
(Recipe by Bake & Bait)

Six-Layer Dark Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

2013-04-07T11:20:00.000+08:00

I made this cake a couple of times previously, and twice over the weekend - one with strawberry SMBC and today, with chocolate SMBC. I did not get to taste the strawberry version but the chocolate was seriously delicious. I love that the dark chocolate in the frosting came out so rich and it did not taste buttery at all.

This is a super easy one bowl chocolate cake that is nearly impossible to screw up, unless you add too much salt like I once did. If you're not as forgetful as me you'll be fine. There's no risk of over-beating, under-mixing, etc. Swiss Meringue Buttercream used to be a complete mystery to me, but it is really easy to make and holds up great once you learn how to. Sweetapolita has a wonderful guide with step-by-step pitcures, be sure to check it out if you're new to making SMBC!

My SMBC usually whips up pretty well despite this hot and humid weather, but with the addition of the chocolate today, it was unusually soft. In my haste to complete the cake, I must have added the still-warm chocolate into the SMBC. So, please do not make the same mistake as me. If you did, however, do that, don't worry, it's not the end. Simply chuck the entire bowl into the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes, and mix it again using your paddle attachment (or hand mixer) till it comes back to its satiny texture.

Dark Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Yields: 1 6-inch cake about 5" high after torting, filling and frosting
INGREDIENTS For the Chocolate Cake: 180g (1-1/2 cups) all purpose flour 225g (1 cup) castor sugar 60g (1/2 cup) dark cocoa powder 1-1/4 tsp (6 g) baking soda 1-1/4 tsp (6 g) baking powder 1 tsp (5 g) salt 140ml (5 liquid oz) buttermilk 130ml (4.5 liquid oz) espresso or strong, hot brewed coffee 75ml vegetable oil 2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten 1 tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract For the Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream: 150g fresh egg whites, about 5 eggs 250g (1-1/4 cups) caster sugar 340g (1-1/2 cups/ 3 sticks) butter, cut into cubes and cool, but not cold* 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract Pinch of salt 300g (1-1/2 cups before melting) melted bittersweet high quality chocolate, cooled	Print this recipe
METHOD For the Chocolate Cake: Preheat oven to 180°C (350° F). Prepare three 6-inch round cake pans with parchment paper rounds, butter/ pan spray and flour or cocoa powder. Tap out excess. In the bowl of your electric mixer, sift all dry ingredients. Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and with paddle attachment on mixer, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed (you may need the plastic splash-guard that comes with mixer) and pour into prepared pans. If possible, use a digital kitchen scale and weigh pans for even layers. Batter will be liquidy. Bake for 20 minutes and rotate pans in oven. Cakes are done when toothpick or skewer comes out with a few crumbs, about 25-27 minutes total. Try not to over-bake. Cool on wire racks for 20 minutes then gently invert onto racks until completely cool. For the Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream: Melt chocolate in a bain marie (i use a heat-proof glass bowl over a small saucepan) and set aside to cool.* Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 71°C (160°F), or if you don't have a candy thermometer, whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot. With the whisk attachment of your mixer, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes or so). Don't begin adding butter until the bottom of the bowl feels neutral, and not warm. Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). *If the mixture is too runny, refrigerate for about 15 minutes and continue mixing with paddle attachment until it comes together. Add vanilla and salt, continuing to beat on low speed until well combined. Add cooled chocolate, and blend until combined.
ASSEMBLY Slice the cake layers in half horizontally, using a cake leveler or a large serrated knife and place flat side down on your cake board, pedestal, or plate. Using a small offset palette knife, spread approximately 1/2 cup of buttercream evenly on the top. Repeat this with remaining cake layers, until you come to the final layer, which you will place with the flat side up. Place cake on a turntable, and using a offset palette knife, cover the cake in a thin layer of buttercream to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (or more). *This does not need to be perfect, as that will come with the top "coat" of buttercream. Repeat the previous step and for best results, use bench scraper held at 90° against the side of the cake, slowly turning the turntable and keeping your hand steady--let the turntable do the work. Clean up edges with your small offset palette knife. Chill the cake but bring it to room temperature before serving (about 1 to 2 hours). Be sure to serve Swiss Meringue Buttercream Cakes at room temperature.
NOTES I like a little less frosting with my cakes, so i make 3/4 of the SMBC recipe and it's just enough to fill and frost the entire cake. To test if the egg whites are ready, rub the egg whites/ sugar mixture between your fingers. If it feels gritty, the sugar has not melted yet. In my hot and humid kitchen, I use the butter almost right out of the refrigerator You can melt the chocolate in your microwave if you want to, but i prefer the double boiler method as it gives me more control over the heat. How to Melt Chocolate (Double Boiler Method) 1. Boil about an inch of water in the saucepan. 2. Place the glass bowl with the chocolate (you can use couvertures or chopped chocolate) over the saucepan (be very careful not to let any water get in contact with the chocolate) 3. Using a heat-proof spatula, stir the chocolate until it is completely melted (a few minutues depending on the amount of chocolate) 4. Set aside to cool completely before adding to the SMBC (Important: If you add the warm chocolate to the SMBC, it will melt!)
(Bake & Bait // Recipe from Sweetapolita)

Pardon the poor photo, I made the cake a few hours before I was supposed to meet my friends for the birthday celebration and did not have much time to photograph it, with the melting SMBC and other incidents. If you're a klutz like me, you should never bake anything last minute. Not just once, my fingers found their way into the frosting, I even stuck my entire cake lifter into the cake while putting it into the cake box *faceplam

Bird, Chick or Duckling? (Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing Recipe)

2013-03-27T14:01:00.000+08:00

It seems like I've been away from my blog for a long time. I made these last week and had intended to blog about them but time kept getting away from me. It was also raining at weird hours so I couldn't take pictures of them, excuses excuses. Anyway, I bought this cute little cookie cutter some time ago and I thought it would be great for making chicks, but there weren't any space for legs. Then, it occurred to me that they could actually be ducklings or birds. Well, no matter what they are, they still look cute, so I made them in 3 different colours, completed with crazy eyes.

This is my first time making royal icing and decorating sugar cookies, and they turned out great, if I do say so myself! One thing though, the cookies tasted great on their own but together with the royal icing was just wayyyyy too sweet for me. Since I can't make the royal icing less sweet, I thought I could maybe reduce the sugar in the cookie dough next time round? Not sure how it would affect the dough though, since it's a sugar cookie recipe?

So here are the recipes I used for the sugar cookie and the royal icing. I live in a very hot and humid place so I used very little water for the royal icing recipe but if you find it too thick, no biggie, just add more water (it is better to slowly thin it out). I had no trouble with spots on my icing, and it dried just fine. I left most of them in the oven after decorating to let them dry, but I also left some out in room temperature and they didn't dry any differently.

Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing Yields: approx. 30 medium cookies (depending on size/ shape)
INGREDIENTS For the Sugar Cookies: 750g (6 cups) all purpose flour 1 tsp (8 g) salt 454g (2 cups/ 4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened for about 5 minutes at room temperature 400g (2 cups) castor sugar 2 large eggs, cold 1 tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) pure lemon/orange extract For the Royal Icing: 1kg (2.25 lb) powdered sugar 75g (5 tablespoons) meringue powder 1 tsp cream of tartar 1 tsp clear extract (orange or lime) 1/2 to 1 tbsp lime juice (optional) 125 - 160ml (1/2 to 2/3 cup) water	Print this recipe
METHOD For the Sugar Cookies: In a large bowl, sift together flour and salt. Set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or hand mixer), cream butter and sugar until fluffy and pale, about 3 - 5 minutes. Beat in eggs. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Add vanilla and lemon extract and blend. Remove 1/2 of the dough from the bowl, make a ball, and place it on a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Wrap the sides of the wrap over the ball, then press down with the palm of your hand and make a disc about 2" thick. Finish wrapping the disc with the plastic wrap. Repeat with 2nd half of the dough. Chill both discs of dough for about 45 minutes. Remove one disc and remove the plastic wrap. Place it on top of a large piece of parchment paper, then place two 1/4" wooden dowels on either side of your dough, then another sheet of parchment paper on top. (You don't need the dowels if you have a rolling pin with guide rings) Roll dough so it's flush with dowels-- they will ensure that your dough is of even thickness. Preheat your oven to 160° C (325° F). Slide your parchment paper and dough onto a board, then place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes. Remove from fridge, and cut your shapes using the cutters of your choice, placing them on a baker's half sheet lined with parchment (or a silicone baking mat), with 2" clearance around each one and the edge of sheet. Place sheet with cookies into freezer for 15 minutes before baking. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cool sheets on a wire racks for 10 minutes, then gently remove cookies and place on wire racks to finish cooling. For the Royal Icing: Sift powdered sugar into the bowl of mixer. Add meringue powder and cream of tartar. Mix dry ingredients with a fork or whisk. Add clear extract and lime juice to the water. Add to the dry ingredients. Mix with the paddle attachment (or hand mixer) just until the ingredients are mixed, less than a minute. The mixture will resemble the consistency of sherbet. Scrape down the sides and mix for a few seconds. Store in an airtight container well covered until ready to use. Icing can be stored at room temperature for up to a week.
NOTES The cookies may be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. They also freeze well.
(Bake & Bait // Cookie recipe from Sweetapolita, Royal Icing recipe from CancunCookies)

It was incredibly fun to decorate these cookies! I spent a couple of hours baking the cookies, decorated them the next day and left them to dry in the oven for about 48 hours. 24 hours of drying time was enough but I left them in there longer just to play safe. I do love these cadbury mini eggs, only available during Easter season!

Please do share if you have any ideas or tips on how to make the cookies less sweet without affecting the results!

Ladurée Macarons

2013-03-13T02:17:00.000+08:00

Hello! I've been meaning to blog but i've been kind of busy recently. I made some meringue nests over the weekend, but they didn't turn out great so no pictures there, lol. While i'm deciding what to do with the 6-layer torted cake that's sitting in the freezer, i'm going to share some pictures of these amazing Ladurée macarons my wonderful friend brought back for me from Paris.

Ladurée and Pierre Hermé are big names in the world of macarons. Laduree is known for being the creator of macarons, with classic flavours like vanilla, raspberry, lemon and chocolate while Pierre Hermé constantly comes out with new and imaginative flavours with modern twists such as huile d’olive à la mandarine (olive oil with mandarin), crème brûlée and foie gras.

I was so excited when i received these macarons, like a little girl receiving her very first barbie doll. I wanted to eat ALL of them but i also wanted to take a million pictures. I set up my little photography corner and spent almost 3 hours snapping pictures in every way i can think of. These macarons are so vibrant, colourful and absolutely amazing to photograph. My pictures don't do them justice, but i did my best! Enough talking, here goes.

There are 18 macarons in this Cristal box, in various flavours. In clockwise direction, green ones are green apple - a seasonal favour, caramel, strawberry or rose?, raspberry (framboise), coffee (café), chestnuts (marrons).

These delicate macarons reached me in pretty good condition despite the long journey. I received them a few days after they were purchased but they still tasted great. The shells were still crunchy and the various fillings were smooth and bursting with flavour. The caramel was a little too sweet for me and the vanilla did not appeal to me much but i particularly enjoyed the Citron (Cédrat) and the green apple.

Look at them, screaming "COME AND EAT ME!"

I also found this amazing digital print while browsing Laduree flavours and just had to share it!

[via spunsugarpaperie, etsy]

I bought the Ladurée Sucré recipe book a while ago but i don't remember seeing any recipe for the Citron macarons. I would appreciate it very much if anyone has a smilar recipe to share! Oh, and if anyone wants to bring me some Pierre Hermé macarons, well.. :)

Tiramisu Charlotte

2013-02-28T23:14:00.001+08:00

Update: This post was featured on Huffington Post Taste, 4 April 2013 along with many beautiful charlottes! I'm so honoured, thank you!

A month back, Susan asked me to help her with her boyfriend's birthday cake. The thing is, he's not much of a cake person (or a anything sweet person). When she told me that he likes tiramisu, I started looking for recipes that will hold up in a cake.

Most recipes i found online for Tiramisu cakes use sponge cake layers instead of lady fingers but i really wanted to have lady fingers in the cake, plus I wanted a simpler recipe for Susan to follow. Then i remembered this wonderful recipe from Chef Dennis that i used last year when i made tiramisu in cups.

Cheese is not really my thing. I don't eat cheese cakes but the first time i tried tiramisu, i was pleasantly surprised by how non-cheesy it tasted. Creamy, yes, but not cheesy. This recipe has great flavour, a great balance of cake and cream - definitely one of the best i've tasted. It also held up very well as a cake.

The original recipe makes a 8 x 8 or 6 x 9 inch cake. The first time we made this using the original recipe, it got us 2 6-inch cakes and a couple of smaller servings. I also found that it was much too sweet. The second time, i scaled the recipe down to make a 6-inch version.

When we were done with the second cake, we had just enough left to make another one. Since i only had one cake ring, we had to remove it from the second cake before it had time to fully set. BIG mistake. Before we could secure the sides with the ribbon, it collapsed into a huge creamy mess. I managed to save some of the lady fingers but we had to eat the rest of the 'cake'.

Yes, i got a little overzealous with the cocoa powder and got them all over the tops of the fingers. Don't be like me.

Tiramisu Charlotte 1 6-inch cake and approximately 3 smaller servings
INGREDIENTS 3 egg yolks 84g caster sugar 141g mascarpone cheese 210g heavy whipping cream 1-1/2 package of lady fingers (14 pieces for the sides + more for the layers) 60ml espresso or strong coffee 35ml coffee flavoured liquor (I used 45ml original Baileys Irish Cream) Cocoa powder for dusting and chocolate curls for garnish	Print this recipe
METHOD Combine yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler, over boiling water. Reduce heat to low, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. This is your sabayon, remove it from heat and whip yolks until thick and lemon coloured. Add mascarpone to whipped yolks, beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whip cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone sabayon mixture and set aside. Place a cake board inside the cake ring. Arrange 14 lady fingers (or more) inside the cake ring. Mix the cold espresso with the coffee liquor and dip the lady fingers into the mixture just long enough to get them wet (do not soak!) Arrange the lady fingers at the bottom of the cake board. Spoon the mascarpone filling over the lady fingers. Repeat process with another layer. (I did 3 layers) Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Dust the cake with cocoa powder and add chocolate curls if desired before serving.
NOTES Do not, i repeat, do not, remove the cake ring from the cake until it has had enough time to firm up (at least an hour). Sabayon is the French name for zabaglione, a light, mousse-like Italian dessert that's made by whisking eggs, sugar and white wine over gently boiling water until the eggs thicken but do not scramble.
(Bake & Bait // Adapted from Ask Chef Dennis)

Chocolate Chip Muffins

2013-02-12T03:26:00.000+08:00

I've had this massive craving for chocolate chip muffins for weeks, and finally got down to making these. These are the most awesome chocolate chip muffins i've ever tasted - fluffy, moist and simply delicious.

The chocolate chips stayed suspended in the top and middle of the batter and did not settle to the bottom. Every bite is filled with chocolatey goodness. They are also really easy to make, taking about 30 minutes from start till end.

I took a bite out of one of these right out of the oven, with the chocolate oozing out, the sides and top crusty with buttery, sugary goodness, so yummy! If you do make these, i hope you enjoyed them as much as i did!

Chocolate Chip Muffins Yields: 12 muffins
INGREDIENTS 113g (1/2 cup) butter 150g (2/3 cup) caster sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 eggs 115g (1/2 cup) milk 240g (2 cups) all-purpose flour 255g (1 1/2 cup) chocolate chips Brown sugar or coarse white sugar, for topping	Print this recipe
METHOD Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners or spray the wells of the pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon until fluffy. Beat in eggs, then stir in the milk. Mix in the flour, then the chocolate chips. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle the tops with a little brown or coarse sugar. Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean (a few crumbs or chocolate is ok). Remove muffins to a wire rack and cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
NOTES These muffins are best served the day they are made; but i've eaten them on the second and third day and they still taste good. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I recommend warming them up in the microwave for about 30 seconds before eating/ serving.
(Bake & Bait // Adapted from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice)